Tag Archives: sustainable design

Council finally passes ordinance for green + affordable housing

Rendering of the Ferncliff housing project
Rendering of the Ferncliff housing project
The two most politicized words on Bainbridge Island are “density” and “water.” *

Having those two words attached to a proposed ordinance aimed at encouraging sustainable design and affordable housing ensured it would go through the wringer of staff revisions, several City Council-ordered rewrites and intense public scrutiny.

After about a year of work, the version that arrived before the council on Wednesday was trimmed and polished enough for unanimous approval.

Some supporters still worry that the ordinance, which establishes density bonuses and flexible design standards to encourage the construction of earth-friendly housing affordable for to middle-income people, may now have limited appeal to developers.

And critics say the ordinance may alter the island’s small town feel with high-density developments that draw down limited groundwater supplies.

The ordinance is likely to achieve one of it’s key goals: allow the Housing Resources Board to move forward with its planned 48-unit project on Ferncliff Avenue.

For more, read my story here.


*There’s also “Winslow Way,” but that’s a combination of two words.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Bainbridge Island shows off its Earth-friendliest homes

In today’s Sun, I profiled two Bainbridge homes featured on the lineup of this Sunday’s green buildings tour. One home, on Yeomalt Point, is aiming for the “greenest of green” designations: the coveted LEED platinum rating, according to its architect Matthew Coates (pictured above).

The other home, on the island’s northeast end, has taken a more subdued, traditional approach to green design.

The tour is part of the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce’s two-day Green Festival. A home and garden show is happening tomorrow, as is a performance by Eco Elvis (don’t ask me).

You can read my story about the green-built houses below. See a photo gallery of one of the homes here.

Continue reading →

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

Winslow Way project gets a multi-million dollar surprise from the state

The city of Bainbridge earned a $3.5 million state grant that will pay for almost 30 percent of a major road and utilities project planned for Winslow’s main street.

Awarded this week by the state Transportation Improvement Board, the money will fund the surface portions of the larger $12.3 million project, including new bicycle lanes, wider sidewalks and road repairs on Winslow Way.

The grant amount exceeded expectations, said Deputy Planning Director Chris Wierzbicki.

“We were trying to be conservative so we thought maybe we’d get one million dollars,” he said. “But now we have three and a half million, so that’s really good.”

The grant’s unexpected bulk means the city can shave off about $1.5 million in bond funding budgeted for the project. The city will see additional cost savings by not having to pay an annual $150,000 in bond-related debt payments over 20 years, Wierzbicki said.

Continue reading →

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post